"Who Are We?"

  It is a sad case these days and times. I've heard it while speaking at different congregations from certain members. They simply want to tell someone, someone outside of their immediate fellowship how disgruntled they are knowing I will be gone in a few days from them. I'm not a threat to their attitude. It is the statement, "If I had another place to worship, I would go!" That's the attitude that seems to prevail more and more these days because many do not even know what they are looking for. It's the elders at fault. It's the preacher at fault. It's this family or that family at fault. Attitudes come to the forefront without speaking a word. You can see it in those who make such statements. They might smile at you or say hello but it is just an empty shell and you can sense it. There is no brotherly warmth. 

  How would you like to be part of the brethren at Corinth? Now they are a lovely congregation. There were quarrels among them (I Cor. 1:11). They were siding with certain men as their followers. They were fleshly, acting like mere men because they had jealousy and strife among them (3:3). They did not recognize they (all of them) were the temple of God. They judged Paul as unfaithful (4:1-5). They had a man practicing openly immorality and did nothing about it. They had court cases against one another making a mockery of the Lord in the eyes of the world. They didn't know what to do about marriage. They were running over the top of one another with their liberties. They claimed Paul and Barbabas could not be supplied financially in their preaching. They were abusing the poor while taking the Supper. They were looking down at those who did not possess spiritual gifts while abusing spiritual gifts. Their assemblies were out of order and frantic. False teaching on the resurrection was happening. Is this where you would want to worship your God? Would you call these your family? What a mess!

  And yet the apostle Paul looked at these tied to Christ and called them the church of God, sanctified in Christ Jesus and saints (I Cor. 1:2). That's who they are. Paul called these saints, these holy brothers and sisters, to grow up and start practicing the love of Christ. He called them back to Jesus! He called them to look at their relationship to Christ as they relate to one another.

  Why can't we see that? People who have been in Christ for years, grew up in families in Christ yet here they are wanting to leave for some petty reason or because of some bad attitude. What's worse? They can never receive anything from the Lord because their attitudes won't allow it. Everything is looked at with a smirk, with a heart of disdain and a shallow mind-set. Simply put...they refuse love! If we are looking for that perfect place, you won't find it on this earth. If we are looking AT the Lord with a sincere heart, you love the brethren and help! No one tied to Jesus will ever want others lost. No one!